The Defence Minister, Dominic Bingab Aduna Nitiwul on Tuesday, December 14, 2021, confirmed in Parliament that consultations were underway for the country to go ahead with plans to purchase a new Presidential Jet.
The Minister justified the decision of the Government to activate plans for the purchase of the new Presidential Jet and disclosed that the move was based purely on a request by the Ghana Air Force for a main wide-body jet to conduct Government business.
According to the Minister, the policy and strategy of the Ghana Air Force have been to maintain a minimum of two aircrafts, which consist of the main aircraft and supporting aircraft that are expected to undertake government business and revealed that the CASA 295 is not suitable for government business in view of its design and features making it a pure military aircraft.
The Defence Minister said currently, the Ghana Air Force had the supporting aircraft, the Falcon 900 Executive Jet, but lacked the main wide-body aircraft for all Government Business in which absence the Air Force has been temporarily using the CASA 295 to fill in for the shortfalls and gaps created by non-availability of the specific aircraft designed for the task.
He said previously, the Air Force operated Fokker 28 Executive Jet as the main aircraft and Fokker 27 as the supporting aircraft until 2010 when both aircrafts were decommissioned.
Dominic Nitiwul who doubles as the MP for Bimbilla was responding to a question by the Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa on plans for the purchase of a new Presidential Jet as announced by Presidential Spokesman Eugene Arhin in September and the Government’s policy justification for the purchase.
He explained that the policy and strategy of the Ghana Air Force had been to maintain a minimum of two Fixed Wing Aircraft, consisting of a main wide-body aircraft and supporting aircraft that were required to undertake thorough and effective Government business.
The Bimbilla lawmaker told the lawmakers consultations with Parliament, trade unions and religious bodies are ongoing ahead of the purchase and furthered that he had contacted two manufacturers namely Boeing and Airbus and, who he said, will be able to deliver the Jet in about three years, if an order is placed now.
He, however screamed His Excellency the President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo will be an ex-President by the time the new Presidential Jet arrives and will not have the chance or luxury to sit in it if funds are made available by Government for the purchase of one.
Answering questions from Ashaiman MP Ernest Henry Norgbe who wanted to know the outcome so far of the investigation into the killing of one Mr. Eric Ofosu by a military officer in March 2020 during the lockdown in Ashaiman, the Minister said the case is that of a homicide and the Police who has the duty to investigate same are investigating the incident.
He explained that the Ghana Armed Forces and the Ghana Police were together, in March 2020, tasked to enforce a lockdown when Covid-19 broke out in the country during which exercise the deceased Eric Ofosu was killed in a struggle with a military officer when he attempted to wrestle a weapon from the soldier and subsequently died in the process.
According to him, the Police are currently conducting a comprehensive investigation into the criminal aspect of the case which report the Ministry of Defence are awaiting from the Ghana Police to enable them take the necessary action.
In another development the Minister revealed that all soldiers, irrespective of their ranks, on retirement qualify to become members of the Veterans Administration, Ghana provided they were honourably released from the military.
He announced this in answer to Isaac Ashai Odamten (Tema East) in respect of the admission requirement into the Veterans Admission, Ghana and how the process engenders good service, and further explained that this requirement serves as a check on the conduct of serving soldiers who by so doing would have to exhibit good character and discipline at all times.
Clarifying on the administrative and economic programmes the Ministry has outlined to provide sustainable welfare support for the veterans, the Minister said the Ministry has tasked the new VAG Board to come out with programmes and policies for approval which will provide sustainable welfare support for members of the Administration.
The Minister asserted the Defence Ministry has taken steps to secure all lands allocated to the VAG and subsequently turn them into commercially viable projects and is also facilitating the rehabilitation of the Amasaman Legion Village Clinic into a Polyclinic for the needs of the teeming military veterans.
He claimed the Ministry has also since 2018 re-engineered a new programme with the National Lottery Authority (NLA) and the VAG Lotto which was designed to be an income generating programme for the VAG.
According to him, the partnership is yielding meaningful dividends for the VAG Lotto which until 2018 was not useful, including the acquisition of a brand new mini-bus for each region of the Administration.
